Conventional telecommunications switching systems employ centralized switching facilities which result in undesirable lengthy switching paths. Therefore, it is desirable to implement distributed telecommunications switching systems which do not require centralized switching facilities. However, elaborate management systems normally are required in order to provide users and operators with the ability to control, configure and monitor the various switches and other components which make up a typical distributed telecommunications switching system For example, an operator or user must be able to control, configure and monitor a distributed switching system's individual application cards, as well as the communication busses which interconnect those application cards
Conventional distributed telecommunications switching systems use dedicated Operational Support Systems ("OSSs") and relatively complex and cryptic command-driven user interface systems in order to provide users with the ability to control, configure and monitor distributed switching systems. These dedicated OSSs are cumbersome to develop, maintain, upgrade and expand upon. Additionally, the command-driven user interfaces are relatively cryptic, cumbersome, non-intuitive and difficult for users to learn and use.
The dedicated OSSs which provide management and support functions for telecommunications switching systems are relatively inflexible and difficult to develop, maintain, upgrade and expand because they normally use dedicated architectures, rather than more desirable and flexible open architectures Additionally, the architectures for these dedicated OSSs normally are unsuitable for interfacing with standardized communications links such as intranets or the internet. Therefore, a need has arisen for a telecommunications switch management and support system which will provide increased flexibility, upgradability, expandability, and ease of development and maintenance.